1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the maintenance of electrical power distribution cables, and more particularly to a tool for gripping a cable such as a high voltage underground residential or commercial power cable and piercing the cable insulation for determining whether or not a conductor within the cable is energized.
2. Description of Related Art
There are commercially available spiked penetrator clamps that are used to verify that a cable is in a de-energized condition. A screw-threaded spike of the clamp has a conically pointed tip for piercing cable insulation to contact an internal conductor of the cable. Such a clamp can be mounted on the end of an elongated non-conducting stick to reach overhead or underground cables. The elongated non-conducting stick has a hook for fitting within an eye on an outer end of the clamp spike for rotation of the clamp spike. One supplier of such clamps and sticks is A. B. Chance Company of Centralia, Mo.
Known spiked penetrator clamps are not entirely satisfactory because such clamps permit misalignment with respect to a cable, in which case the tip of the advancing spike may pass by the conductor, not making any electrical contact with the conductor and giving a false indication that the cable is deenergized, with potentially hazardous results to workers or property.